2018 5th Grade STAAR Test

All fifth graders enrolled in a public education program in Texas are required to take the 5th Grade STAAR Tests. Find out everything you need to know about the tests right here. Get information about the 5th Grade STAAR Reading, Math, and Science Tests, including dates, content, and preparation tips.

To enter 6th grade, students must pass the 5th grade STAAR Reading and Math tests. Being prepared on test day is, therefore, highly important.

5th Grade Math STAAR Test Practice

The 5th Grade STAAR Math Test is made up of 47 multiple-choice questions, as well as three open-ended questions. For calculation purposes, students are given graphing paper and a reference sheet (calculators are not permitted during the test). We recommend to practice very well all the different operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) with integers, rational numbers, fractions, decimals, and more to avoid making miscalculations on the day of the test.

The assessment of a student’s abilities is based on the 5th grade mathematics criteria covered over the course of the school year, such as interpreting graphs, and utilizing given data to solve equations.

Solving equations can be a difficult thing to master. Try looking at the solution of an exercise in class and reproducing it. Do not skip any of the calculations. Then, look at the solution and try to understand why each step in it is important. After that, you can also try rewriting the solution in your own way (without looking) to test your understanding of the topic.

5th Grade Reading STAAR Test Practice

The 5th Grade Reading STAAR Test consists of six passages (600-800 words each) and 46 questions altogether. The genres of the passages vary from fiction to nonfiction sources. Students are expected to be able to pinpoint and analyze the literary constructions and devices of the texts. Read more about the STAAR Reading Test.

Because of the variety of texts and questions that may appear on the test, it is important that your fifth grader becomes acquainted with as many types of the expected questions and passages as possible. This will save your child both time and anxiety on the day of the exam.

There are many options available for reading at a 5th grade level in various topics (history, fiction, etc.). An interesting and educational way to test reading comprehension is by forming a small family book club (or with friends). Choose a small book, regardless of the topic, and read it and discuss the ideas with other people. This can help you develop your reading comprehension skills and discussing questions while pointing at pages of the book for reference can help you locate the correct justification in a text.

5th Grade STAAR Science Test Practice

The test contains 44 multiple-choice questions. The questions cover various topics, including electricity and insulation, electrical circuit, planetary system, laws of reflection, ecosystems, natural disasters, organisms and animal behavior, experimentation, types of energy, water cycle, metamorphosis, properties of matter, and more. Students are also asked to interpret graphs, charts, and diagrams and to analyze the recorded data.

Go over your notes from school and any study book you may use during class. Start by summarizing all the important topics and reading your notes. After that, you can test yourself by either explaining it to a friend or your family. Other topics may be combined into a big, fun presentation. For example, you may have learned that the caterpillar becomes a chrysalis (a cocoon), and then becomes a butterfly; similarly, other animals undergo transformations, and even elements like water (in which case, it changes state). Another interesting paring of topics can be water, ecosystems, and natural disasters. You can study this by thinking about the way those may be connected (for example, water and a tsunami or how the water cycle can help an ecosystem to flourish).

5th Grade STAAR Practice with TestPrep-Online

It’s true: Your fifth grader may not be too excited about studying. But this doesn't have to be the case. With the right tools and the right method, your child can feel more motivated and more confident on the day of the test.

You can improve your child's reading & math skills in time for the test by utilizing TestPrep-Online's 5th Grade MAP Practice Pack. Though not identical to the STAAR, the MAP Test is highly similar, and is used as a form of assessment in several States, opening more doors for your child in the long run.

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